The director of the Secret Service resigned following the assassination attempt on Trump
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Cheatle described the July 13 incident as the most significant failure in decades. The attack resulted in one death and two serious injuries.
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US Secret Service Director Kimberly Chittle has come under fire for the agency's failure to prevent the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, sources familiar with the decision said.
The whistleblower's resignation comes days after a contentious congressional hearing in which she faced bipartisan calls for her impeachment. In testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Chettle called the incident “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.”
“The main mission of the Secret Service is to protect our nation's leaders. On July 13, we failed,” Cheatle said. “As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security crisis.”
One attendee was killed and two others were seriously injured in a shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. Critics have questioned how the alleged shooter managed to get onto a nearby rooftop, even though he was already identified as a suspect. Cheatle said there was a “very short amount of time” between the identity of the shooter and the attack.
Cheatle's tenure has been marked by efforts to increase diversity within the Secret Service. However, some conservatives, like Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., have criticized her as a “DEI hire,” suggesting that female agents have “physical limitations” to the role.
Although he initially resisted calls for his resignation, Chettle's departure underscores the severity of the security breach and the pressure on the agency to restore confidence in its ability to protect high-profile figures during a volatile election season.
Bet on Polymarket release
Crypto prediction market Polymarket has increased risk-related activity. A contract asking whether Chettle will be fired by September 1 is trading at 29 cents, indicating a 29% chance. Although the amount was relatively low at $7,000, it reflected the growing interest in political results among crypto traders.
Other polymarket contracts emerged, with respondents 94% likely to be a sole actor and 83% leaning Republican. Notably, Trump's re-election odds rose to 71% after the event, with a net gain of $258 million.
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